Method of finishing roofing units



Dec. 2, 1930. c. R. MacDONALD METHOD D F FINISHING ROOFING UNITS Original Filed March 13, 1926 2 Sheets-$heet 1 Dec. 2, 1930. c aqDONALD 1,783,849

METHOD OF FINISHING ROOFING UNITS Originglfiled March 13 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 2, 1930 fum'rso STATES PATENT OFFICE cnnsrnn n. mcnorunn, or nurnnaroan, mew JERSEY, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE A8- SIGNHEN'IS, TO THE PATENT AND LICENSING CORPORATION, OF BOSTON, MASSA CHUBE'ITS, A COBPQBATION OI MASSACHUSETTS METHOD 0] FINISHING ROOFING UNITS Original application filed 1mm 18,

This application is divided from my application Serial No. 94,377, filed March 13, 1926, for method of and apparatusfor coating roofing units. The invention has relation generally to the production of roofin materials, and' particularly to t-hose -whic comprise a fibrous foundation made resistant to water, wear and weather by the application thereto of suitable waterproofing and wearresisting substances. Ordinarily a bibulous felt produced on paper-making machinery from a furnish comprising rags, cellulosic material, hair, wool or asbestos or the like, is employed as the foundation and the sheet is saturated with asphalt while the latter is in a liquid condition, usually when molten. 'The saturated sheet is ordinarily coated on one or both faices with asphalt, usuall a relatively higlfi i'elting point blown aspha t, and is surfaced on one or. both faces with a mineral material, such as crushed slate, sand, fine pebbles or the like. The sheet of saturated, coated and surfaced felt, is then cut into individual roofing units, such as individual shingles or strip shingles, so called of various sizes and designs. ecause of the fact that the finished sheet is ordinarily flat and relatively thin, a roof covered with such roofin units presents a thin and relatively unsu stantial appearance. An additional disadvantage flows from the cutting of the finished sheet since the fibers and the asphalt are exposed at the cut edges to the action of the elements, thereby causing a more rapid disintegration of the unit.

This invention has for its object to provide a method of and machine for sealing and thickening the butt ortions-of roofing units, such as individual shingles or shingle strips, which have been formed of either unsaturated felt or of felt which has been saturated, coated and surfaced, as hereinbefore described, or its equivalent. A further object of the invention is to provide means for handling individual pre-cut stri s and carrying them throu h a process 0 butt thickening automatically.

According to t e invention, a suitable coating material (e. g. high melting-point asphalt) maybe applied to the butt portions fest" to one skilled in the art from the dlS- closure in the drawings, of which,-

Figure 1 indicates diagrammatically in side elevation apparatus for' carrying out the invention.

Figure 2 is an end view on a larger scale of alportion of the apparatus shown in Figure Figure 3 is an elevation of a stri shingle finished by the apparatus shown in i are 1.

Figure 4 is an elevation of a strip finished without upwardly extending tongues of coating.

Figure 5 is' a section on the line 55' of either Figire 3 or Figure 4.

It may againstated that the roofing elements, which are subjected to the process and to the operation of the machine to be described, are first formed in any suitable sizes and shapes by any suitable machinery. While for most purposes, I propose to treat those ngle f 1828, Serial No. 84,377. Divided and this application flied October I. l 24, 1927- Serial Il'o. 228,131.

may be cut from an unsaturated sheet, or one -which has been saturated, and, if desired,

coated.

As will be explained, the elements to be treated aresucc'essively and automatically subjected to a coating operation, and then to a surfacing operation, and finally discharged in a finished condition.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 10 indicates a palr of endless conveyors, preferably in the form of chains,to which may be attached suitable clamping devices 11 at regular intervals adapted to seize 'each individual roofing unit and carry it through the successive steps of the process. The form of stripbut it is to be understod that the same appa ratus may be used as it is or with slight alter-.

ations to treat roofing units of other shapes.

Strip shingles may be supplied successive- 1y to the clamps 11 by suitable apparatus such as is shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 94,377, hereinbefore referred to, or by hand, or in any other desired way.

The clam s 11 may besuccessively opened as by suitab e cams 13 and 14 to receive strip shingles to be treated. In order to prevent the clamps 11 from catching on or interfering with the cam 13 as they pass it, a cam 15 may be provided to tilt the jaws out of the way. The cams 13 and 14 interact with por- 1 tions of the clamps to open the same for a brief period and then allow them to close. Suitable springs (not shown) may be provided connecting the jaws of each clamp to hold them normally closed and to draw the jaws together with sufficient force to grip and support a strip shingle which may be positioned between them. The conveyors 10 may be carried by a suitable number of sprocket wheels such as shown at 16, 17 and 18, any or all of these sprocket wheels being driven as desired. The strip shingles 12 after being supplied to and gripped by the clamps 11 are carried hanging from the clamps 11 by the conveyors 10 to a coating device. This, as shown in Figure 1, may include a series of striping wheels 19, if stripes such as are indicated at 20 in Figure 3 are desired. As shown, the striping wheels 19 are mounted over a suitable tank 21 containing the liquid coatin material 22 which may be molten asphalt o relatively high melting point or any other desirable or suitable liquid.

In order to keep the coating material in liquid form, it may be necessary to keep it hot. To this end, suitable heating means such for example as steam pipes 23 may be provided. The striping wheels 19 may dip directly into the 001 of coating material 22 or as shown in Figure 1 may receive on their peripheries films of coating material which are raised from the tank by feed wheels 24. In order to prevent the formation of congealed masses of material on the sidesof the wheels 19 and 24, suitable scrapers 25, 26 may be provided. The effect of these scrapers is to confine the coating material to the peripheral areas of the wheels 19 and 2st and thus to insure uniform width and definition of the, stripes 20 on the strip shingles. In order to coat the butt portions of the strip shingles 12 as. shown in Flgures 3 or 4, a suitable coatin roll 27 is mounted in the path. of the a vancing strip shingles, the roll 27 being at such an elevation that as the shingles are successively drawn over the peripheral surface thereof, the butt portions only of the shingles comes in contact with the surface of the roll. The roll 27 may dip into the pool 22 or may be continuously supplied with a film of coating material on its surface as by a feed roll 28. The rolls 19, 24, 27 and 28 are all preferably driven by any convenient means in either direction as desired, so that films of coating material are constantly raised from the .pool 22 and presented to the advancing strip shingles. The strip shingles 12 as they are carried ast the roll 27 come in contact with the sur ace of the roll and receive therefrom coating material which covers the butt portion of one face thereof as shown in Figure 4 and also the butt edges. I prefer usual- 1 to drive the roll 27 in a counterclockwise direction so that the film of coating carried by the. roll is transferred to the shingles with a wiping action which insures a thorough application of an ample uantity of coating material to the portion 0 the shingle presented to the roll and to the butt edges. Each strip shingle when thus coated is carried along to a conveyor belt 29 upon which is deposited from a suitable supply 30 a layer of loose granules of crushed slate, brick, tile, or other comminuted matter suitable for-surfacing a roofing element. The belt 29 is preferably driven so that the upper stretch thereof goes in substantially the same direction as the lower stretch of the shingle supporting conveyors 10, the linear speed of the belt 29 being preferably a little less than the speed of the conveyors 10. Thus when the butt edge of each strip shingle comes in contact with the grit-covered stretch of the belt 29, the head portion of. the shingle advances beyond and thus rocks the shingle on' its butt edge while it is in contact with the grit. At a suitable point in the progress of the shingle, a cam 31 is provided to separate the jaws of the clamps 11 and thus to release successively the shingles held thereby. The shingles thereupon fall flat on the grit-covered stretch of the belt 29 and are'carried alongin contact therewith between suitable press rolls 32 which are j ournaled in such a way as to be pressed together resiliently in order to permit the passage of the thickened portion of the shingle between them without the exertion of undue pressure thereon. Suitable cooling means (not shown) may be provided to chill the coating material after the shingles have passed through the press rolls. Loose rit on the belt 29 which is not taken up by t e strip shingles, may be recovered as b va suitable receptacle 33. The

finished shing es may be deposited in a suitable conveyor 34 and collected in packages for shipment. Having thus described certain embodiments of my invention, it should evident to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made therein without departing from its spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims.

1. The method of treating roofing units, which comprises advancing the units in succession, forming a film of liquid coating material, and transferring saidfilm to the butt terial.

3. The method of treating roofin units, which comprises forming a film 0 liquid coating material, transferring the film to coat the butt portion of a face of each unit and the butt edges, surfacing the coated areas with grit, and rounding oil the coated and gritsurfaced butt edges.

. 4. The method of treating roofing units, which comprises advancing a series of roofing units in succession, presenting a body of liquid coating material to the successive units, and wiping a portion of one face only of each unit on the surface of said body as the unit is advanced.

5. The method of treating roofing units,

- which comprises maintaining a pool of liquid coating material, continuously raising a film of liquid from said pool, and successively .wiping one face of said units against said 6. The method of treating 'roofing units which comprises advancing a series of roofing units in succession, presenting a film of liquid coating material to the successive units and causing the units to swingingly engage the film of coating material whereby to transfer the film to the face and edge portions of said units as they are advanced.

7. The method of treating a roofing unit, which comprises swingably suspending said unit with its butt edge lowermost, advancing said unit facewise along a straight path, and presenting to said advancing unit a supply of liquid coating material whereby said unit is swung rearwardly by engagement with said supply and drawn thereover.

8. The method of treating a roofing unit, which comprises swingably suspending said unit with its butt edge lowermost, advancing said suspended unit facewise along a horizontal path, and maintaining in a portion of said horizontal path a supply of liquid coating material at a level between the butt edge and the oint of suspension of said unit whereby t e butt portion is swung rearwardly by engagement with said supply and drawn thereover.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed any signature.

CHESTER R. MACDONALD. 

